Bleacke's Geek (Bleacke Shifters) (10 page)

He had a feeling there was more to her plan than just that. “And?”

“While you’re grading papers, you’ll go commando for me for the rest of the evening. Just around here. Please?”

Who was he trying to kid? He didn’t want to leave. The thought of spending a night without her nearly ripped his heart from his chest. “I have to be at work at eight tomorrow morning.”

She nodded. “I’ll drive you myself. I promise. Every day.”

“You don’t mind driving me to work for the next four weeks?”

“Not in the least.”

“I might have a heart attack the way you drive.”

“Is it a deal?”

He kissed her, plunging his hand into her damp hair. “Of course it is. I have a feeling we won’t get much sleep, though.”

* * * *

By the time they’d returned downstairs, Beck and Badger had brought all the groceries in. Most were put away already, although a few bags of stuff still lay on the counter. From the bloated wad of empty plastic bags hanging on a cabinet knob, it looked like Badger had shopped for an army.

“What the hell did you buy?” she asked.

“I’m not used to feeding a grazer,” Badger griped. “I’m used to feeding wolves. Wolves are easy to satisfy. Meat and coffee. As long as I keep those two things in stock, my throat stays intact. Well, and dark chocolate for ye when yer especially bitchy,” he teased.

She pulled a box out of one bag. “Fa-kin?”

He nodded at Ken. “Fake bacon. For yer mate. If he likes it, I’ll keep it in stock. The woman at the store said they sell a lot of it.”

Ken fought the urge to laugh. He sensed Badger was making an uncharacteristically major effort for his benefit. Dewi caught his eye and winked.

He winked back.
Suspicion confirmed.
“Thanks, Badger,” he said.

“Though, I can’t blame ye if ye don’t like it. We’ll keep trying until we find something to yer tastes.”

“Pancakes, scrambled eggs, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt—anything like that’s fine with me. But I do appreciate it. I’ll eat pretty much anything you cook except meat.”

Badger hooked a thumb toward the fridge. “Stocked a whole farm’s worth of fruit, veggies, and salad stuff for ye, too. Couple of kinds of salad dressing. Cheese and yogurt.”

Dewi hugged the man. “Thanks, Badger.” She kissed his cheek.

He looked even gruffer, but puffed up just the same. “Gotta keep my girl happy. If yer boy there starves to death, I imagine ye wouldn’t be verra happy.”

Chapter Five

Beck disappeared upstairs to a guest room to unpack. Dewi asked Beck to stay because she had a lot of things she wanted his help to teach Ken. Ken also surmised that Dewi was especially protective of Ken and wanted Beck around to help her keep him safe.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why she worried about his safety.

Badger started cooking a huge breakfast feast and wouldn’t let Ken help at all. “Naw, first morning in the family, I’ll take it easy on ye,” he said, amused. “But after today, ye pull yer own weight.”

Dewi hovered around Ken, touching him, kissing him, and draping herself over him as he sat on a stool at the counter.

He didn’t mind in the least. His brain had started to surrender to the fact that she really did appear to want him as much as he wanted her.

“Badger, he needs to go get his stuff and pick up his bike from the pub we were at last night. Can you take him after we eat? I’ve got that call. Since Beck’s back, he needs to sit in on it.”

It surprised Ken that he didn’t feel the slightest bit jealous of Beck being alone with her.

Badger nodded from his place by the stove. “Aye. I wondered if ye’d want me to take him.” He glanced at Ken with a teasing expression. “I promise I won’t let him run off.”

Ken stared at Dewi and knew the adoration in her eyes matched his own expression. “No chance of me running off,” he said. “I promise.”

Dewi grinned.

He knew he’d kill to see her grin like that again.

* * * *

After a long, drawn out good-bye kiss where Dewi didn’t want to let Ken go, Badger clucked impatiently. “Come on, girlie. Let him go. I’ll bring him back safe and sound. Yer call begins in five minutes. Ye keep Peyton waiting, he’ll want to rip a strip outta yer hide.”

“He can try,” she growled before nuzzling Ken’s neck again.

He kissed her one last time before she let him gently push her away. “I don’t want you getting in trouble,” he said. “We’ll be back soon. It won’t take long. I promise.”

She looked…well, like a lost puppy. “Hurry back.”

“We will,” Badger insisted. He’d left his truck parked outside and opened the passenger door. “Get in, ye lovestruck man.”

Ken realized the thick stands of pine lining the drive actually comprised a tree farm. As they drove toward the main gate, Badger noticed his reaction. “Lots of privacy out here,” he said. “No neighbors close by, and we’ve got a large place to begin with. Nearly five hundred acres.”

Something still bothered him. “Where are her parents? Do they live in Idaho, too?”

Badger’s expression darkened. “Dead. When she was just a wee, tiny pup, only six months old. Murdered. Bastard nearly killed her, too.” As if anticipating Ken’s next question, he continued. “By a rogue, or maybe. We don’t know for sure. There’s some that thinks what Dewi went through is what triggered her Prime. She was a fighter from the beginning. In the hospital she fought to stay alive despite her injuries.”

“How long have you been with her?”

“I raised her. Peyton and Trent were too busy to do it, what with losing their parents and running the pack. They asked me to step in. Not that they didn’t love her, because they do. She’s their baby sister, after all. But they knew her being a Prime would lead to special problems later.”

“So you are her father.”

“I raised her, if that’s what ye mean. In her heart, perhaps I am her father, but not by blood.” He looked at Ken as he slowed for the gate to open. “Do ye know how long it’s been since we’ve seen her smile, lad?”

Confused, Ken shook his head. She’d smiled a lot in the short time he’d known her.

“Until she met ye, the last time I saw her smile was before her parents were murdered. And she was only six months old when that happened. Like I said, just a wee, tiny pup.” He returned his attention to the road. “I just wanted ye to know that. If ye have any doubts about how she feels about ye—don’t.”

* * * *

Yellow crime scene tape still blocked the entrance to the pub, but they didn’t see any marked police cruisers. There were cars in the lot, the other businesses normally open on Sundays doing trade as usual. Badger stopped the truck at the far end of the parking lot as his shrewd gaze scanned the area.

“I don’t think there’s any cops around. Where is your bike? Let’s get this done quick.”

Ken pointed at his bike, the only one chained to the rack three stores down from the pub. Badger pulled up next to it and got out with him, the older man scanning the area.

The pub door opened. A man Ken suspected was a detective walked out and toward them.

Under his breath, Badger uttered a foreign oath Ken thought might be Gaelic.

“Steady, lad,” Badger muttered to Ken.

The detective walked up to them and flashed a badge. “Detective Berringer, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Is this your bike, sir?”

Ken nodded, resisting the urge to swallow nervously.

“Were you here at the pub last night?”

He nodded again, his heart racing.

“Were you alone or with someone?”

“Alone.”

“A man was murdered here last night. Did you see anything?”

Badger reached out and touched Ken’s arm, as if the news shocked him and he needed to hold on to steady himself. Then Ken heard the whisper of Badger’s voice in his head, telling him what to say. “I was already on my way out the door when I heard a loud bang,” Ken said. “I didn’t look back because everyone started running. I figured I’d better start running, too.”

The detective nodded and whipped out a notepad. “What’s your name, sir?”

“Ken.” He winced as he felt Badger’s amusement. “Dr. Heathcliff McKenzie Ethelbert. My…family calls me Ken.” Strangely, he realized that didn’t feel like a lie.

They were his family now.

The cop shook his head, obviously wanting to laugh and only his professional demeanor holding him back. “Why did you leave your bike here, sir?”

More silent nudging from Badger. “I don’t live far. When I heard people talking about it being a shooting, I decided to head home.”

“You didn’t see who shot the man?”

“No. I didn’t know what was going on at first. I heard people behind me screaming about a gun.”

The cop turned his attention to Badger after looking at Ken’s ID and getting his information. “And you are?”

“Badger,” he said with a grin. He released Ken’s arm and offered his hand to shake with the cop. When he made contact, Ken noticed Badger’s grip tightened and the cop’s face went blank.

Badger’s voice dropped to a low, growly tone. “Ye know he’s got nothing to do with this.”

The detective nodded, his voice sounding flat. “He’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Do ye have any leads?”

“Someone said they thought they saw a woman, but others swore one of his friends shot him.”

“There wasn’t a woman. They’re mistaken. A woman wouldn’t shoot him. It was one of Peckingham’s friends. They’re all scumbags anyway. Ye’ll find the gun he used up on the roof where he threw it after the shooting, when he ran like a scalded cat.”

The detective slowly nodded. “Up on the roof.”

Badger nodded back. “Good man. Then all ye have to do is make that bastard, Dallas, break first. He’ll agree he saw Kennings shoot him. Taylor will gang up on him, too. They planned it together.”

The detective nodded again. “Okay.”

“Say it back to me.”

“Dallas first. Kennings shot him. Taylor will gang up on him, too. They planned it together.”

“Good man.” Badger released him. The detective stood there for a moment, his face blank, before he shook his head.

“Was there anything else, Detective?” Badger asked.

He frowned. “No, thank you. You’ve both been very helpful.”

Badger grinned. “Any time, Detective.” The detective turned and reached for a radio on his hip. They heard him calling for someone to get him roof access as he walked back into the pub.

Badger nudged Ken. “Let’s make this quick, laddie,” he muttered.

Ken quickly unlocked his bike and Badger helped him load it in the truck’s bed. “What gun?” Ken whispered. “On the roof?” Then he realized Dewi’s gun, which had been on the counter when they went up to bed last night, had been missing that morning.

Badger nodded. “Aye. Ye didn’t think I was at the grocery store all that time this morning, did ye?” He winked.

Chapter Six